AU2020205232A1 - A gaming system and method of gaming - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of controlling a secondary game event in a wager based game, and a game controller to control play of a 5 game, are disclosed herein.

Description

A GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GAMING

Related Application

This application is a divisional application of Australian

application no. 2018203994, which in turn, is a divisional

of 2016210727, which, in turn, is a divisional of

application no. 2014203106, which, in turn, is a

divisional of 2011202094, the disclosure of all of which

is incorporated herein by reference. Most of the

disclosure of these applications is also included herein,

however, reference may be made to the specifications of

application nos. 2018203994, 2016210727, 2014203106 and

2011202094 as filed to gain further understanding of the

invention claimed herein.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a gaming system and a

method of gaming, and particularly, but not exclusively,

to a gaming system, controller and method for awarding

jackpot prizes.

Background of the Invention

It is known to provide a gaming system which comprises a

game controller arranged to randomly display several

symbols from a predetermined set of symbols and to

determine a game outcome such as a game win based on the

displayed symbols. Such gaming systems may commonly be

implemented as a stepping machine provided with reels with

each reel carrying several symbols of the set, or a video

machine wherein selected symbols are displayed on virtual

reels on a graphical display device. Win outcomes can

occur based on symbols appearing in one or more horizontal

lines, diagonal lines, or any other predetermined way.

It is also known to award high paying prizes, referred to as jackpot prizes, which may be funded from a prize pool. Typically, a portion of a gaming machine's turnover is forwarded to a jackpot prize controller which maintains the prize pool.

One common way of awarding a jackpot prize is based on determining a certain symbol or symbol combination in a game outcome, often referred to as a symbol driven jackpot. However, a problem with this sort of jackpot awarding technique is that the probability of being awarded the jackpot prize (or simply qualifying for the prize) is not tied to the amount wagered by the player and thus does not meet regulatory gaming requirements for many jurisdictions. To overcome this problem, some gaming systems have been modified so as to increase the number of jackpot trigger symbols available for selection in the game, in proportion to the wagered amount. However, the problem with such modified jackpot awarding techniques is that players wagering small amounts are not awarded with jackpots as often as players wagering larger amounts resulting in those players losing interest in the game.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of controlling a secondary game event in a wager based game, the method comprising the steps of: configuring a secondary event trigger having a hit rate which is fixed over a plurality of games; determining an amount wagered for play of one of the games; and upon determining the secondary game event trigger during the game, initiating the secondary game event in which a higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible to be awarded, such that a probability of being awarded the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered in the game, while the probability of achieving the lower value prize decreases.

In an embodiment the secondary event trigger is a symbol

driven trigger occurring during play of the game.

In an embodiment the prizes are jackpot prizes funded from

a jackpot prize pool.

In an embodiment the method comprises the further step of

allocating a percentage of each wager to the jackpot prize

pool.

In an embodiment the method comprises the further step of

setting the probabilities such that an average jackpot

return over the plurality of games is substantially

constant for a range of wager amounts.

In an embodiment the method comprises the further step of

determining which of the higher or lower value prize to

award based on the wagered amount and awarding the

determined prize.

In an embodiment the method further comprises providing a

plurality of distinct higher and lower value prizes, a

relative probability increase for each prize with respect

to the wager amount being dependent on a required rate of

return.

In an embodiment the method comprises the further step of

awarding a combination of the plurality of distinct prizes to achieve the required rate of return.

In an embodiment the step of determining a wager amount

comprises determining an average wager amount over a

number of games since a last jackpot was awarded such that

the relative probabilities are determined based on the

average wager amount.

In accordance with a second aspect there is provided a

game controller operable to control play of a game, the

game controller comprising:

a configuration module arranged to configure a

secondary event trigger having a hit rate which is fixed

over a plurality of games;

a wager determination module arranged to determine an

amount wagered for play of one of the games;

trigger module arranged to trigger a secondary game

event in which a higher value prize and lower value prize

are each eligible to be awarded upon determining the

secondary event trigger during the game, such that a

probability of awarding the higher value prize increases

with the amount wagered in the game, while the probability

of awarding the lower value prize decreases.

In an embodiment the secondary event trigger is a symbol

driven trigger occurring during play of the base game.

In an embodiment the prizes are jackpot prizes funded from

a jackpot prize pool.

In an embodiment a percentage of each wager is allocated

to the jackpot prize pool.

In an embodiment the probabilities are set such that an

average jackpot return over the plurality of games is

substantially constant for a range of wager amounts.

In an embodiment the prizes comprise a plurality of

distinct higher and lower value prizes, a relative

increase for each distinct prize with respect to the wager

amount being dependent on a required rate of return.

In an embodiment the controller further comprises an award

module operable to award a combination of the plurality of

distinct prizes to achieve the required rate of return.

In an embodiment the determined wager amount comprises an

average wager amount over a number of games since a last

jackpot was awarded such that the relative probabilities

are determined based on the average wager amount.

In accordance with a third aspect the present invention

provides a method of controlling a secondary game event in

a wager based game, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an amount wagered for play of one of the

games; and

upon determining a particular trigger during play of

the game, initiating the secondary game event in which a

higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible

to be awarded, such that a probability of being awarded

the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered

in the game, while the probability of achieving the lower

value prize decreases and such that a rate at which the

secondary game event is triggered is independent of the

amount wagered for play of the game.

In an embodiment the rate at which the secondary game

event is triggered is fixed.

In accordance with a fourth aspect the present invention

provides a method of controlling a secondary game event in

a wager based game, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an amount wagered for play of one of the

games; and

upon determining a particular trigger during play of

the game, initiating the secondary game event in which a

higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible

to be awarded, such that a probability of being awarded

the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered

in the game, while the probability of achieving the lower

value prize decreases and such that the secondary game

event is triggered once on average for every n games,

where n is greater than two.

In accordance with a fifth aspect there is provided a game

controller operable to control play of a game, the game

controller comprising:

a wager determination module arranged to determine an

amount wagered for play of one of the games;

trigger module arranged to trigger a secondary game

event in which a higher value prize and lower value prize

are each eligible to be awarded upon determining a

secondary event trigger during the game, such that a

probability of awarding the higher value prize increases

with the amount wagered in the game, while the probability

of awarding the lower value prize decreases and wherein a

hit rate for the secondary game event trigger is

independent of the amount wagered.

In accordance with a sixth aspect the present invention provides a gaming system comprising a game controller in accordance with the second or fifth aspects and at least one gaming device providing a display arranged to display play of the game.

In accordance with a seventh aspect the present invention provides a computer program comprising instructions for controlling a game controller in accordance with the second aspect or a method in accordance with the first aspect.

In accordance with an eighth aspect the present invention provides a tangible computer readable medium providing a computer program in accordance with the seventh aspect.

Brief Description of the Drawings Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of core components of a gaming system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a gaming system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention with the gaming system implemented in the form of a stand alone gaming machine;

Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of operative components of the gaming machine shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of components of a memory of the gaming machine shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a gaming system in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention with the gaming system implemented over a network;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of functional components of a gaming system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a flow diagram illustrating operation of a gaming system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

Figures 8 & 9 are example game payout tables in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

In an embodiment there is provided a game controller

operable to control play of a game on a gaming device.

The game controller comprises a configuration module

arranged to configure a secondary event trigger having a

hit rate which is fixed over a plurality of games; a wager

determination module arranged to determine an amount

wagered for play of one of the games. A trigger module,

also implemented by the game controller, is arranged to

initiate a secondary game event, in which a higher value

jackpot and lower value jackpot are each eligible to be

awarded, upon detecting the secondary event trigger in the

game. The secondary game event is configured such that a

probability of awarding the higher jackpot increases with

the amount wagered, while the probability of awarding the

lower value jackpot decreases. In this manner, the game

controller is operable to provide a jackpot prize awarding

technique which triggers jackpots at the same frequency

irrespective of the amount wagered, but which may still provide an average jackpot return which is related to the wagered amount.

General construction of a gaming system

The gaming system can take a number of different forms. In

a first form, a stand-alone gaming machine is provided

wherein all or most components required for implementing

the game are present in a player operable gaming machine.

In a second form, a distributed architecture is provided

wherein some of the components required for implementing

the game are present in a player operable gaming machine

and some of the components required for implementing the

game are located remotely relative to the gaming machine.

For example, a "thick client" architecture may be used

wherein part of the game is executed on a player operable

gaming machine and part of the game is executed remotely,

such as by a gaming server; or a "thin client"

architecture may be used wherein most of the game is

executed remotely such as by a gaming server and a player

operable gaming machine is used only to display audible

and/or visible gaming information to the player and

receive gaming inputs from the player.

However, it will be understood that other arrangements are

envisaged. For example, an architecture may be provided

wherein a gaming machine is networked to a gaming server

and the respective functions of the gaming machine and the

gaming server are selectively modifiable. For example,

the gaming system may operate in stand alone gaming

machine mode, "thick client" mode or "thin client" mode

depending on the game being played, operating conditions, and so on. Other variations will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Irrespective of the form, the gaming system comprises

several core components. At the broadest level, the core

components are a player interface 50 and a game controller

60 as illustrated in Figure 1. The player interface is

arranged to enable manual interaction between a player and

the gaming system and for this purpose includes the

input/output components required for the player to enter

instructions and play the game.

Components of the player interface may vary from

embodiment to embodiment but will typically include a

credit mechanism 52 to enable a player to input credits

and receive payouts, one or more displays 54, a game play

mechanism 56 that enables a player to input game play

instructions (e.g. to place bets), and one or more

speakers 58.

The game controller 60 is in data communication with the

player interface and typically includes a processor 62

that processes the game play instructions in accordance

with game play rules and outputs game play outcomes to the

display. Typically, the game play instructions are stored

as program code in a memory 64 but can also be hardwired.

Herein the term "processor" is used to refer generically

to any device that can process game play instructions in

accordance with game play rules and may include: a

microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic device

or other computational device, a general purpose computer

(e.g. a PC) or a server.

A gaming system in the form of a stand alone gaming

machine 10 is illustrated in Figure 2. The gaming machine

10 includes a console 12 having a display 14 on which are

displayed representations of a game 16 that can be played

by a player. A mid-trim 20 of the gaming machine 10

houses a bank of buttons 22 for enabling a player to

interact with the gaming machine, in particular during

game play. The mid-trim 20 also houses a credit input

mechanism 24 which in this example includes a coin input

chute 24A and a bill collector 24B. Other credit input

mechanisms may also be employed, for example, a card

reader for reading a smart card, debit card or credit

card. A player marketing module (not shown) having a

reading device may also be provided for the purpose of

reading a player tracking device, for example as part of a

loyalty program. The player tracking device may be in the

form of a card, flash drive or any other portable storage

medium capable of being read by the reading device.

A top box 26 may carry artwork 28, including for example

pay tables and details of bonus awards and other

information or images relating to the game. Further

artwork and/or information may be provided on a front

panel 29 of the console 12. A coin tray 30 is mounted

beneath the front panel 29 for dispensing cash payouts

from the gaming machine 10.

The display 14 shown in Figure 2 is in the form of a video

display unit, particularly a cathode ray tube screen

device. Alternatively, the display 14 may be a liquid

crystal display, plasma screen, any other suitable video

display unit, or the visible portion of an

electromechanical device. The top box 26 may also include a display, for example a video display unit, which may be of the same type as the display 14, or of a different type.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram of operative components of a typical gaming machine which may be the same as or different to the gaming machine of Figure 2.

The gaming machine 100 includes a game controller 101 having a processor 102. Instructions and data to control operation of the processor 102 are stored in a memory 103, which is in data communication with the processor 102. Typically, the gaming machine 100 will include both volatile and non-volatile memory and more than one of each type of memory, with such memories being collectively represented by the memory 103.

The gaming machine has hardware meters 104 for purposes including ensuring regulatory compliance and monitoring player credit, an input/output (I/0) interface 105 for communicating with peripheral devices of the gaming machine 100. The input/output interface 105 and/or the peripheral devices may be intelligent devices with their own memory for storing associated instructions and data for use with the input/output interface or the peripheral devices. A random number generator module 113 generates random numbers for use by the processor 102. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the reference to random numbers includes pseudo-random numbers.

In the example shown in Figure 3, a player interface 120 includes peripheral devices that communicate with the game controller 101 comprise one or more displays 106, a touch screen and/or buttons 107, a card and/or ticket reader 108, a printer 109, a bill acceptor and/or coin input mechanism 110 and a coin output mechanism 111. Additional hardware may be included as part of the gaming machine 100, or hardware may be omitted as required for the specific implementation.

In addition, the gaming machine 100 may include a communications interface, for example a network card 112. The network card may, for example, send status information, accounting information or other information to a central controller, server or database and receive data or commands from the central controller, server or database.

Figure 4 shows a block diagram of the main components of an exemplary memory 103. The memory 103 includes RAM 103A, EPROM 103B and a mass storage device 103C. The RAM 103A typically temporarily holds program files for execution by the processor 102 and related data. The EPROM 103B may be a boot ROM device and/or may contain some system or game related code. The mass storage device 103C is typically used to store game programs, the integrity of which may be verified and/or authenticated by the processor 102 using protected code from the EPROM 103B or elsewhere.

It is also possible for the operative components of the gaming machine 100 to be distributed, for example input/output devices 106,107,108,109,110,111 to be provided remotely from the game controller 101.

Figure 5 shows a gaming system 200 in accordance with an alternative embodiment. The gaming system 200 includes a network 201, which for example may be an Ethernet network. Gaming machines 202, shown arranged in three banks 203 of two gaming machines 202 in Figure 5, are connected to the network 201. The gaming machines 202 provide a player operable interface and may be the same as the gaming machines 10,100 shown in Figures 2 and 3, or may have simplified functionality depending on the requirements for implementing game play. While banks 203 of two gaming machines are illustrated in Figure 5, banks of one, three or more gaming machines are also envisaged.

One or more displays 204 may also be connected to the network 201. For example, the displays 204 may be associated with one or more banks 203 of gaming machines. The displays 204 may be used to display representations associated with game play on the gaming machines 202, and/or used to display other representations, for example promotional or informational material.

In a thick client embodiment, game server 205 implements part of the game played by a player using a gaming machine 202 and the gaming machine 202 implements part of the game. With this embodiment, as both the game server and the gaming device implement part of the game, they collectively provide a game controller. A database management server 206 may manage storage of game programs and associated data for downloading or access by the gaming devices 202 in a database 206A. Typically, if the gaming system enables players to participate in a Jackpot game, a Jackpot server 207 will be provided to perform accounting functions for the Jackpot game. A loyalty program server 212 may also be provided.

In a thin client embodiment, game server 205 implements most or all of the game played by a player using a gaming machine 202 and the gaming machine 202 essentially provides only the player interface. With this embodiment, the game server 205 provides the game controller. The gaming machine will receive player instructions, pass these to the game server which will process them and return game play outcomes to the gaming machine for display. In a thin client embodiment, the gaming machines could be computer terminals, e.g. PCs running software that provides a player interface operable using standard computer input and output components.

Servers are also typically provided to assist in the administration of the gaming network 200, including for example a gaming floor management server 208, and a licensing server 209 to monitor the use of licenses relating to particular games. An administrator terminal 210 is provided to allow an administrator to run the network 201 and the devices connected to the network.

The gaming system 200 may communicate with other gaming systems, other local networks, for example a corporate network, and/or a wide area network such as the Internet, for example through a firewall 211.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that in accordance with known techniques, functionality at the server side of the network may be distributed over a plurality of different computers. For example, elements may be run as a single "engine" on one server or a separate server may be provided. For example, the game server 205 could run a random generator engine.

Alternatively, a separate random number generator server

could be provided. Further, persons skilled in the art

will appreciate that a plurality of game servers could be

provided to run different games or a single game server

may run a plurality of different games as required by the

terminals.

Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the

method of the preferred embodiment could be embodied in

program code. The program code could be supplied in a

number of ways, for example on a computer readable medium,

such as a disc or a memory (for example, that could

replace part of memory 103) or as a data signal (for

example, by downloading it from a server).

Embodiments may be implemented in relation to a spinning

reel type game. Gaming systems for implementing games that

involve a display of spinning reels as part of the display

of the outcome of a game have either a video display or a

mechanical display, these later machines most usually

being "stepper" machines which have a separate motor for

each reel. However, persons skilled in the art will

appreciate that the invention can be implemented in

respect of other forms of games, including; card games;

ball draw games (e.g. bingo or keno); dice games; and pin

and ball games.

In some implementations the game controllers of such

gaming machines select symbols by employing a stop

determining function that randomly determines the stop

position for each reel. For example, if there are five

reels, each having twenty symbols, the stop determining function might determine that the stop positions are positions: 3, 13, 7, 9 and 17. The spinning of the reels is then controlled so that each symbol comes to a stop in the same row, typically a predetermined row in a "window" visible to the player on the display that which corresponds to a player playing a single win line. When a reel stops, the symbols will be in one of a plurality of possible symbol positions for that reel relative to the stop position.

Spinning reel type games typically allow a player to

select how many win lines of a plurality of win lines they

will play in each game - i.e. a minimum of one win line up

to the maximum number of win lines allowed by the game.

Persons, skilled in the art, will appreciate that in other

embodiments, the player may select a number of reels to

play. Each win line is formed by a set of symbol positions

consisting of one symbol position from each reel. That

is, a predetermined symbol position of each reel is

assigned to a win line. The symbol positions that

constitute each of the win lines are usually advertised to

the player by markings on the display or diagrams showing

the symbol positions that correspond to each win line.

Some of the win lines will be horizontal or diagonal

lines. Typically, the win lines will be constituted by

symbol positions in the visible window. A game outcome is

determined based on the symbols on the win lines and a

prize table that specifies awards.

MORE DETAIL OF THE GAME CONTROLLER

The game controller 60 of an embodiment is shown in more

detail in Figure 6. As described in the preceding paragraphs, embodiments of the present invention are operable to provide a jackpot prize awarding technique which has an average return that is tied to an amount wagered by a player in the game, but which is triggered at a rate which is independent of the wagered amount.

According to a specific embodiment, this is achieved by

awarding distinct jackpots of different prize value in a

secondary event (such as a bonus game) triggered during

play of a base game, such that the probability of being

awarded a higher paying jackpot prize in the secondary

event increases as a function of the amount wagered in the

base game, while the probability of being awarded a lower

paying jackpot prize decreases. In other words, the

jackpot may be treated much like a feature event whereby

the jackpot is won at a fixed rate independent of the

wager but whereby the final prize value is related to the

wager. For simplicity, only those modules needed to carry

out such embodiments are illustrated in Figure 6. Other

standard and/or non-standard modules may also be

implemented for carrying out operation of normal and

feature game play functionality.

It will be understood that the jackpot prizes may be

funded from a jackpot prize pool that is implemented by

the game controller 60, or by some remote jackpot

controller (e.g. incorporated into the jackpot server 207,

as previously described). The prize pool may be made up

of contributions from a single gaming machine or from a

collection of gaming machines that are each eligible to be

awarded the jackpot prize. Alternatively, the jackpot

prize may be some other major prize that is independent of

machine contributions. Such variations are within the

purview of the skilled person.

The game controller 60 includes a processor 62 which is arranged to control game play and determine a game outcome. It will be apparent that the processor 62 implements a number of modules, namely a configuration module 620, random number generator module (RNG) 621, symbol selector module 622, outcome determiner module 623, award determiner module 624, wager determination module 625, trigger module 626 and display controller module 627, based on data stored in memory 64. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that not all modules need be implemented by processor 62. For example, the random number generator module 621 could be implemented by a separate circuit or by a random number generator server.

In the following description, embodiments will be described in the context of a wager based game having a plurality of reels (each carrying a plurality of symbols), which are spun to determine game outcomes. However, it will be understood that embodiments are equally applicable to non-reel based games including card games, dice games, numbered ball games, or indeed any type of game of chance where markers with different values/symbols are utilised.

During each game of the reel game, the wager determination module 625 of the game controller 60 determines an amount wagered by a player in the game (e.g. by selecting a button corresponding to the wager amount on the gaming machine which causes a signal to be sent to the game controller 60 to notify the game controller of the wager amount). The symbol selector 622 then selects symbols to be displayed in a reel window displaying a plurality of reels, based on symbol data 641 stored in memory 64, specifying the available symbols. The symbols to appear in the reel window are selected by the symbol selector 622 using a random number, or seed, obtained from the random number generator 621. The outcome determiner module 623 determines the game outcomes and their associated prizes based on the number of win lines the player is playing, the amount wagered and the resultant symbol combinations. In the presently described embodiment, certain game outcomes include secondary event triggers (hereafter "jackpot triggers") which are set by the configuration module 620 and which collectively have a fixed hit rate. That is, the rate at which the secondary event is triggered is fixed over a plurality of games irrespective of the amount wagered in the base game. For example, it may be decided to trigger the secondary game event once on average for every 100 games played. It will be understood that the actual hit rate selected can be any particular rate depending on the desired implementation. The jackpot trigger may be a symbol driven trigger such as a predetermined number or combination of special symbols appearing on a selected pay line, or alternatively appearing in any location within the reel window (referred to as a "scatter" trigger). The reel window and corresponding game outcomes are displayed on the display 54, under control of the display controller 627.

Responsive to determining that a jackpot trigger has occurred in the base game, the trigger module 626 is operable to either instantly award at least one of a plurality of distinct jackpot prizes, or trigger a secondary jackpot game in which the at least one distinct jackpot prizes is awarded. In the embodiments described herein, a secondary game is triggered upon detecting three scattered "X" symbols in the base game.

The determination as to which jackpot prize (or combination of jackpot prizes) to be awarded is based on the amount wagered, such that a probability of achieving a higher valued jackpot increases with the amount wagered, while the probability of achieving a lower valued jackpot decreases. In other words, for small bets a smaller jackpot is won more often, whereas for larger bets a larger jackpot is won more often. The aforementioned technique advantageously provides that the frequency of awarding jackpot prizes remains constant irrespective of the wagered amount, while at the same time rewarding players who wager larger amounts on the game with a greater chance at being awarded a higher paying jackpot.

The method 700 of the invention is summarised in

Figure 700. At step 710 a secondary game event trigger is

set, the trigger having a hit rate which is fixed over a

plurality of games. At step 712, a wager staked on the

game is determined by the wager determination module 625.

The controller 60 then carries out play of a base game and

outcomes are determined by the outcome determiner module

623, as previously described (step 714). At step 716,

upon determining that the secondary game event has been

triggered, the trigger module 626 initiates a secondary

game event in which a higher value prize (hereafter "major

jackpot") and lower value prize (hereafter "minor

jackpot") are each eligible to be awarded, such that a

probability of being awarded the major jackpot increases

with the amount wagered, while the probability of being

awarded the minor jackpot decreases. At step 718, the

award determiner 624 determines the total award payable to

the player.

The aforementioned jackpot awarding technique can be

described mathematically as follows, where the minor

jackpot is referred to as "j"and the major jackpot as "NJ"f.

More detailed examples of embodiments will now be

described. According to each embodiment, the game is in

the form of a reel game.

Example 1

According to a first example embodiment, the reel game is

configured such that three or more scatter symbols trigger

a secondary game (hereafter "jackpot feature") at a rate T

of 1 in 100, for an average return R of 10%. The minor

jackpot is set at j = 10 credits start-up, while the major

jackpot start-up is set at J = 100 credits. A player

betting one credit may be awarded the minor jackpot j every jackpot feature for 10 credits at 1 in 100 credits

bet, i.e. R = 10%. However for a wager of 10 credits the

player would be awarded J = 100, also with a return of

10%. In an embodiment, there may be an option for a player

to wager five credits in the game. In this case, the

probability of being awarded the minor jackpot j of 10

credits may be set to 5/9, while the probability of

winning a major jackpot is set to 4/9 to achieve the

desired 10% return as follows.

10 x 5/9 + 100 x 4/9 = 450/9 = 50 credits.

It will be understood that the same calculations for

achieving a desired return can be applied to any number of

different wagers and for any number of distinct jackpot

prizes, dependent only on the desired configuration.

Example 2

A combination of four distinct progressive jackpots may be

awarded upon triggering of the jackpot feature. The four

jackpots are divided into two lower paying jackpots having

start-up values of $10 and $20 respectively, and two

higher paying jackpots with start-ups of $1000 and $2000.

The game offers a jackpot return of 15%, again triggered

one in every hundred games and with wagers ranging from $1

to $100. According to this example embodiment, for $1

wagered the game mostly awards the lower paying jackpots

for an average return of $15. When the player wagers $100

for 100 games (i.e. for a contribution of $10,000

turnover), the jackpots mostly consist of the higher

paying progressive jackpots of $1000 (i.e. 10% return) and

$2000 (20% return).

A pay scale for a jackpot feature game similar to that

described above is shown in Figure 8, with the jackpot

probability plotted on the vertical axis and the total

wager amount plotted on the horizontal axis. When the

wager is low the MINOR and MINI jackpots (i.e. the lower

paying jackpots) have a high probability of being awarded

while the GRAND and MAJOR jackpots (i.e. the higher paying

jackpots) have low probabilities. In contrast, when the

wager is relatively large the MINOR and MINI jackpots have

a lower probability of being awarded whereas the GRAND and

MAJOR jackpots have higher probabilities.

It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that

the adjustment in probability need not be smooth or

continuous as the wager increases. For example, some

jackpots could be available only for some wager intervals

while still providing the same average jackpot return.

Example 3

According to the third example embodiment, a game offers a

combination of jackpots to provide a 10% average jackpot

return. The jackpot is triggered every 1 in 200 games

with wagers ranging from $1 to $50. The jackpots are

worth $20, $100 and $1000 respectively. With reference to

Figure 9, the probabilities are set such that a wager of

$1 will only ever trigger the $20 jackpot. For wagers

above $1 but less than $5, a distribution of $20 and $100

jackpots will be awarded, while a wager of $5 will always

award the $100 jackpot. Wagers of between $5 and $50 will

award either the $100 or $1000 jackpots and finally the

major $1000 jackpot is awarded for $50 wagers only.

It is possible to combine the present invention with a

traditional approach of making the feature trigger

probability proportional to the bet. A wager increase of

four credits could be accommodated with a two times better

trigger rate and a 'probability slide', as described

above, to accommodate the increased probability

distribution in the jackpot feature.

The adjustment of the jackpot according to the wager may

be done in part by repeating the jackpot. For example, a

wager of six credits may have a three times better return

due to the increased wager and be awarded twice over.

For each of the above described embodiments, the rate at

which the secondary game event triggered was fixed over a

particular number of games (e.g. triggered once on average

every 100 games). However, in an alternative embodiment,

the rate may be fixed for a particular time period, or the like.

Further it will be understood that the prizes awarded in the secondary event need not be jackpot prizes but instead could be any form of prize. For example, the higher paying prize could be an award of 20 free games while the lower paying prize could be an award of 10 free games. Such modifications are within the purview of the skilled person.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (26)

CLAIMS:

1. A method of controlling a secondary game event in a

wager based game, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring a secondary event trigger having a hit

rate which is fixed over a plurality of games;

determining an amount wagered for play of a game;

upon determining the secondary event trigger during

the game, initiating a secondary game event in which a

higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible

to be awarded, such that a probability of being awarded

the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered

in the game, while the probability of achieving the lower

value prize decreases.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hit

rate is fixed over an indefinite number of games.

3. A method of gaming in accordance with claim 1 or

claim 2, wherein the trigger is a symbol driven trigger

occurring during play of the corresponding game.

4. A method of gaming in accordance with any one of

claims 1 to 3, wherein the prizes are jackpot prizes that

are funded from a jackpot prize pool.

5. A method of gaming in accordance with claim 4,

comprising the further step of allocating a percentage of

each wager to the jackpot prize pool.

6. A method of gaming in accordance with any one of the

claims 4 to 5, comprising the further step of setting the probabilities such that an average jackpot return over the plurality of games is substantially constant for a range of wager amounts.

7. A method of gaming in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the further step of determining which of the higher or lower value prize to award based on the wagered amount and awarding the determined prize.

8. A method of gaming in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of distinct higher and lower value prizes, a relative increase for each prize with respect to the wager amount being dependent on a required rate of return.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising the further step of awarding a combination of the plurality of distinct prizes to achieve the required rate of return.

10. A method of gaming in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of determining a wager amount comprises determining an average wager amount over a number of games since a last jackpot was awarded such that the relative probabilities are determined based on the average wager amount.

11. A game controller operable to control play of a game, the game controller comprising: a configuration module arranged to configure a secondary event trigger having a hit rate which is fixed over a plurality of games; a wager determination module arranged to determine an amount wagered for play of one of the games; trigger module arranged to trigger a secondary game event in which a higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible to be awarded upon determining the trigger in the game, such that a probability of awarding the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered in the game, while the probability of awarding the lower value prize decreases.

12. A game controller in accordance with claim 11,

wherein the hit rate is fixed over an indefinite number of

games.

13. A game controller in accordance with claim 11 or 12,

wherein the trigger is a symbol driven trigger.

14. A game controller in accordance with any one of

claims 11 to 13, wherein the prizes are jackpot prizes

funded from a jackpot prize pool.

15. A game controller in accordance with claim 14,

wherein a percentage of each wager is allocated to the

jackpot prize pool.

16. A game controller in accordance with any one of

claims 11 to 15, wherein the probabilities are set such

that an average jackpot return over the plurality of games

is substantially constant for a range of wager amounts.

17. A game controller in accordance with any one of

claims 11 to 16, wherein the prizes comprise a plurality

of distinct higher and lower value prizes, a relative

increase for each distinct prize with respect to the wager amount being dependent on a required rate of return.

18. A game controller in accordance with claim 17,

further comprising an award module operable to award a

combination of the plurality of distinct prizes to achieve

the required rate of return.

19. A game controller in accordance with any one of

claims 11 to 18, wherein the determined wager amount is an

average wager amount over a number of games since a last

jackpot was awarded such that the relative probabilities

are determined based on the average wager amount.

20. A gaming system comprising a game controller as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 19; and at least one gaming device providing a display arranged to display play of the game.

21. A method of controlling a secondary game event in a

wager based game, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an amount wagered for play of one of the

games; and

upon determining a particular trigger during play of

the game, initiating the secondary game event in which a

higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible

to be awarded, such that a probability of being awarded

the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered

in the game, while the probability of achieving the lower

value prize decreases and such that a rate at which the

secondary game event is triggered is independent of the

amount wagered for play of the game.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the rate at which the secondary game event is triggered is fixed.

23. A method of controlling a secondary game event in a wager based game, the method comprising the steps of: determining an amount wagered for play of one of the games; and upon determining a particular trigger during play of the game, initiating the secondary game event in which a higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible to be awarded, such that a probability of being awarded the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered in the game, while the probability of achieving the lower value prize decreases and such that the secondary game event is triggered once on average for every n games, where n is greater than two.

24. A game controller operable to control play of a game, the game controller comprising: a wager determination module arranged to determine an amount wagered for play of one of the games; trigger module arranged to trigger a secondary game event in which a higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible to be awarded upon determining a secondary event trigger during the game, such that a probability of awarding the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered in the game, while the probability of awarding the lower value prize decreases and wherein a hit rate for the secondary game event trigger is independent of the amount wagered.

25. A computer program comprising instructions for controlling a game controller or system in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 20 or 24.

26. A tangible computer readable medium providing a computer program in accordance with claim 25.